How to hire a sports official

How to hire a sports official, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sports official hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a sports official job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sports official
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your sports official job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a sports official for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A sports official's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sports officials from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of sports officials.

   Type of Sports Official	Description	Hourly rate
   Sports Official	Umpires, referees, and other sports officials preside over competitive athletic or sporting events to help maintain standards of play. They detect infractions and decide penalties according to the rules of the game.	$12-25
   Referee	A referee is a sports official who is responsible for officiating games, sports events, or competitions. They must ensure that game rules are being followed by all players and make calls when these rules are broken... Show more	$12-61
   Sports Internship	Sports Interns are on-the-job trainees who are taking sports sciences or other related courses in college. These students do their internship in a sports facility, sports clinic, or with a sports team... Show more	$10-18

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Intramural Sports
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Softball Games
   • Safety Regulations
   • League Rules
   • Game Rules
   • Sports Events
   • Youth Sports
   • Training Sessions
   • Basketball Games
   • Indoor Soccer
   • Disciplinary Actions
   • League Play

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage conflicts and resolutions between other umpires and coaches/parents.
   • Referee of soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball and flag football CPR certify
   • Execute in game promotions during collegiate football, basketball, volleyball and other events around campus.
   • Coach member participants in sport activities such as basketball and volleyball to encourage both exercise and friendly competition.
   • Exercise leadership skills by coaching the new officials while working in a fast-pace environment and maintaining composure under pressure.
   • Attend NFL games, shadow the cameraman and assist coordinating interviews with players in the locker rooms after games.

   More sports official duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the sports official job description is a good way to get more applicants. A sports official salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a sports official in New York may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level sports official. Additionally, a sports official with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average sports official salary

   $36,685yearly

   $17.64 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sports official salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average sports official salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$49,879	$24
   2	Colorado	$47,928	$23
   3	Virginia	$47,788	$23
   4	North Carolina	$45,849	$22
   5	California	$43,968	$21
   6	Michigan	$43,541	$21
   7	Texas	$41,264	$20
   8	Maryland	$37,761	$18
   9	Kansas	$37,303	$18
   10	Florida	$36,351	$17
   11	Minnesota	$33,706	$16
   12	Wisconsin	$32,850	$16
   13	Utah	$27,451	$13
   14	Iowa	$27,322	$13
   15	Missouri	$26,600	$13

   Average sports official salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City and County of Denver Government	$44,659	$21.47	3
   2	University of Michigan	$44,097	$21.20	2
   3	The College of St. Scholastica	$42,655	$20.51	1
   4	Trustmark Insurance Co	$40,152	$19.30	2
   5	Frederick County	$40,034	$19.25	2
   6	HealthFitness	$38,816	$18.66	4
   7	City of Spokane	$38,203	$18.37
   8	Missouri State University	$38,105	$18.32
   9	NASCAR	$37,090	$17.83
   10	Welocalize	$36,734	$17.66
   11	City of Rochester MN	$36,559	$17.58
   12	City of Boulder	$36,456	$17.53
   13	San Jose State University	$36,212	$17.41
   14	Oakland Public Library	$35,174	$16.91	1
   15	City of Boise	$34,938	$16.80	1
   16	South Suburban Parks and Recreation	$34,704	$16.68	1
   17	City of Salinas	$34,456	$16.57	4
   18	City of Stephenville	$34,371	$16.52
   19	MGM Resorts International	$33,910	$16.30
   20	City of Greeley	$33,483	$16.10	2

4. Writing a sports official job description

   A job description for a sports official role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a sports official job description:

   Sports official job description example

   Perks of working at the Y!
   
   * Free individual YMCA membership! Discounts on programs
   * Child Care discount 25% (must work min 20 hrs/week to qualify); Summer Camp discounts
   * Free Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Program
   * Y Retirement Fund: Y pays 12% after employee meets eligibility requirements
   * Eligible to participate in 403B savings account through Y Retirement Fund
   
   PAY RATE: $10.00/hr
   
   The Sports Official is responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of each child enrolled in the program. A Sports Official must demonstrate leadership, show active participation and enthusiasm on the court or field, while serving as a positive role model to all participants and other staff in accordance with the policies and procedures of the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley. Sports include but are not limited to: Soccer, Basketball, Futsol, Flag Football, T-Ball, Softball, Volleyball and Track.
   
   SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None
   
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
   
   * Be able to model the YMCA core values: caring, honest respect, and responsibility.
   * Be able to officiate/referee the sport assigned, demonstrate and teach core skills through academy style classes and during games.
   * Provide customer service to fulfill the needs of the participants and the coaches as well as using teachable moments as often as possible during the course of the game, as well as memorize the "YMCA Sports Pledge" and be able to present it on game day to the kids.
   * Ensure a consistent and quality experience for all participants, parents and volunteers.
   * Able to interact and diffuse situations with dissatisfied individuals.
   * Set up and take down the necessary sports equipment needed for the game while maintaining a clean and safe work site; assist custodial staff as needed to ensure a clean and safe environment.
   * Read and understand the rules that have been developed for the YMCA league as well as enforce the rules using a whistle, verbal communication, colored flags, or other tools relevant to the game being played.
   * Provide direct supervision to program participants at all times and ensure a safe environment. If a hazardous situation occurs the official must act swiftly to correct it while demonstrating professionalism in executing tasks.
   * Understand and follow all safety rules and regulations including knowledge of emergency procedures and location of emergency equipment. Attend all in-service training and staff meetings.
   * Prepare incident reports accurately, consistently and in accordance with established timelines. Seek guidance from supervisor in unusual circumstances.
   * Adherence to all policies and procedures of the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley.
   * Participate in and solicit others to participate in necessary YMCA financial development efforts, specifically the Annual Campaign.
   * Maintain certifications listed under Certificates and Other Requirements.
   * Regular and timely adherence to respective schedule/meetings.
   * All other duties as assigned by the Branch Executive Director and/or Program Director I - Sports.
   
   EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
   
   * Enrolled in High School working towards a diploma or equivalent at minimum.
   * No officiating/refereeing experience is necessary but the person must have knowledge of the sport and basic understanding of the rules.
   
   CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   * Must be able to pass background check
   * CPR/AED/First Aid*
   * Mandatory Reporter*
   * Note: The * noted certification training programs are provided by the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley staff and must be obtained within 30 days of hire, if not currently certified.
   
   PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds and be able to run to keep up with the pace of the game/play. Must be able to stand, walk for at least an hour at a time, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear regularly, and stoop and kneel occasionally. Specific vision requirements of this job include close vision, distance vision, use of both eyes, depth perception, peripheral vision and ability to adjust focus. The employee is regularly required to use oral communication skills; observe and interpret people and situations; analyze and solve problems; perform work on multiple, concurrent tasks with constant interruptions.
   
   WORK ENVIRONMENT: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and vehicles. The noise level in the work environment can vary from quiet to loud depending upon events and hours. This position works in a variety of environments which include, but are not limited to, gymnasiums and outdoors playing fields.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find sports officials for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any sports officials they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level sports officials with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sports official job on Zippia to find and recruit sports official candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with sports official candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new sports official

   Once you've found the sports official candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new sports official. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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